HB 1470-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2016 SESSION
\t16-2529
\t06/09
HOUSE BILL\t1470-FN
AN ACT\tpermitting additional site evaluation committee membership from towns or cities affected by an application.
SPONSORS:\tRep. Hull, Graf. 9; Rep. Darrow, Graf. 17
COMMITTEE:\tScience, Technology and Energy
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ANALYSIS
\tThis bill permits a representative of a municipality affected by a proposed energy facility to be a member of the site evaluation committee for the sole purpose of voting on an application affecting his or her community.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
\t16-2529
\t06/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Sixteen
AN ACT\tpermitting additional site evaluation committee membership from towns or cities affected by an application.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 New Paragraph; Site Evaluation Committee; Membership. Amend RSA 162-H:3 by inserting after paragraph I the following new paragraph:
\t\tI-a. An additional member may be appointed by the planning board, or the governing body if no planning board exists, of each municipality affected by the energy facility or renewable energy facility described in the application. Such member shall be limited to voting on the application affecting his or her community, shall receive mileage at the rate set for state employees, and may be removed by vote of the appointing authority. The term of such member shall expire at the issuance or denial of the certificate, or the withdrawal of the application.
\t2 New Paragraph; Energy Facility Evaluation, Siting, Construction and Operation; Definitions; "Affected by". Amend RSA 162-H:2 by inserting after paragraph I-a the following new paragraph:
\t\tI-b. "Affected by" means the municipality in which the energy facility or renewable energy facility is to be located, and the abutting communities.
\t3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t16-2529
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t10/29/15
HB 1470-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT\tpermitting additional site evaluation committee membership from towns or cities affected by an application.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Site Evaluation Committee states this bill, as introduced, will increase state restricted revenue and expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2017 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county or local expenditures or revenue.
METHODOLOGY:
The Site Evaluation Committee states the proposed legislation would increase the membership of the Committee for each proposed energy facility or proposed renewable energy project by adding members appointed by the local planning board or governing body from the municipality or abutting communities where the facility would be located. The additional members would be reimbursed for mileage at the rate paid to state employees, which is currently 57.5 cents per mile. The statute governing the committee, RSA 162-H, requires the committee or subcommittee if one is established, to hold at least one public hearing in each county in which the facility would be located. After the public hearing process, an adjudicative proceeding is conducted and these proceedings are usually held in Concord. The Committee indicates there are usually multiple days of hearings for each proposed project. The Committee indicates there are currently three active projects under review by the Site Evaluation Committee:
The Committee is not able to estimate the impact on state revenue or expenditures. Although the source of funds is not specified, the Committee assumes the additional cost would be a charge to the site evaluation committee fund established in RSA 162-H: 21.